Emulsified fuel



Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES LESTER KIRSGHBRAUN,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS.

mnsmrnn FUEL.

No Drawing. Application filed April 5, 1920, Serial-No. 371,258. Renewed July 5, 1928.

This invention relates to emulsified hydroand the method of making such fuels. Among. the objects are to produce a fuel of the character mentioned which will have great stability and can be economically made and which will be effective in use, both from the standpoint of power developed and the elimination 'of carbon deposits in the engine. The invention also contemplates the forming of a primary emulsion andv then forming a second emulsion or in some cases diluting the first emulsion with a dif-v ferent hydrocarbon oil.

Describing first that form of the invention in which one emulsion itself forms the dispersed or internal phase of the final product, the process is as follows A. given percent of water, for example, an amount of water equal to 10 percent of the final product, is mixed with a small percentage, for example, one percent of a water soluble oil or other soap or suitable emulsifying agent and the water and emulsifying-agent is then mixed with a hydrocarbon oil, for example, an amount of gasoline equal to 10 percent of the final. product. This mixture is prefer ably run throughv a homogenizer giving a white colored product which is an eniulsion having the water in the continuous phase. The product thus far obtained is then used as the dispersed phase and dispersed in a hydrocarbon oil preferably a hydrocarbon oil containing about one percent of an oil soluble emulsifying agent. Such an agent has been employed which was a petroleum 'itself-this being a naphthenic acid or a sulphonic derivative of naphthenic hydrocarbon. The resultant emulsion also if desired can be run through the homogenizer and the final product employed in the ordesired hydrocarbon oil, and as the emulsicarbon fuels and to a new and improved, fuel fying agent in this case is oil soluble the initial emulsion will not be broken by the addition of more hydrocarbon oil. Both of the processes contemplate an initial emulsion and the addition of a greater amount of oil, but both methods mentioned as well as the resultant products can be varied without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

It will bevunderstood that one of the advantages of using the relatively heavy hydrocarbon oil in the primary emulsion is to derive the advantages of greater dispersion which will be eifective on account of the greater viscosity of oil of this character.

.Also the stability of the final emulsion will be increased inasmuch as the specific ravity of the dispersingl phase will approac1 more nearly that of t e continuous pha of the second emulsion. I claim as my invention:

1. A fuel suitable for use in internal combustion engines comprising an emulsion of hydrocarbon oil' and water, cut-back with hydrocarbon oilcontaining an oil soluble emulsifying agent capable of being expelled from the engine Without substantial residue, the initial emulsion being in the dispersed phase and theoil inthe continuous phase.

2. A fuel suitable for internal combustion engines consisting of an initial emulsion of a relatively heavy gravity normally liquid hydrocarbon dispersed in water with a combustible emulsifying agent the water com prising the continuous phase of the initial emulsion, said emulsion being mixed in a lighten gravity liquid hydrocarbon with an emulsifying agent to form a final emulsion, the lighter hydrocarbon comprising the continuous phase of the finalemulsion, and the primary emulsion comprising the dispersed phase of the final emulsion.

3. A fuel suitable for internal combustion engines consisting of a hydrocarbon oil emulsified with naphthenic acid in water, the water comprising the dispersed phase of the emulsion, said emulsion further diluted with hydrocarbon oil to predetermined proportions of oil and water.

LESTER KIRsoHnRAUN. 

